Episode 3 of "Monster: The Ed Gein Story" opens with a vivid flashback: Augusta, in a fit of fury, kicks Ed and Henry’s father out of their home after he returns inebriated and collapses unconscious on the floor. Enraged by her actions, Mr. Gein lashes out, slapping Augusta, only to be met with a resounding slap in return as she coldly bans him from ever setting foot in the house again. Augusta then turns to Ed, her voice stern and unwavering, instructing him never to lay a hand on a woman.
The scene shifts to the present, where Ed is seen donning his mother’s garments as he meticulously cleans the house. He sways to the rhythm of music, his face concealed beneath a macabre mask fashioned from a human visage. Just as he loses himself in the eerie dance, the police arrive, intent on questioning Ed about Mary’s murder. To their surprise, they are swiftly convinced of his innocence. The officers inform Ed that Mary was shot, and her body remains missing. Ed feigns shock, suggesting that Mary’s checkered past might be the root cause of her untimely demise.
Later, at the diner, Ed is greeted by Adeline, who offers a heartfelt apology for her abrupt departure the previous night. She regales him with a tale of a transgender man who underwent gender reassignment surgery and is now thriving as a woman. Ed’s curiosity is piqued by her words, and he abruptly excuses himself, eager to return home.
That night, under the cover of darkness, Ed descends upon another grave, unearthing a ring intended as a gift for Adeline. He orchestrates a romantic date, where the two share a bottle of wine. Ed leads Adeline to the graveyard, a place steeped in both death and desire, and pops the question. Overwhelmed by emotion, Adeline accepts his proposal.
As the night deepens and passion ignites between them, Ed’s thoughts are abruptly interrupted by the echoing words of his mother. He halts Adeline mid-embrace, his voice laced with a mixture of regret and resolve. “I cannot bring myself to fornicate if we cannot have or raise children,” he declares, his words hanging heavy in the air as the night’s romantic spell is shattered.
The following morning, Adeline ushers Ed into a family's home, introducing him as their new babysitter. Mrs. Heller, with a tinge of concern etched on her face, informs Ed and Adeline that their regular babysitter, Evelyn, is currently recuperating in the hospital. Without hesitation, Ed accepts the role and ushers the two young children, Enid and Frank, back to his own abode. There, in a macabre display, he unveils a finger bone, attempting to amuse the kids with his grotesque find. His antics escalate as he brandishes a severed head, procured from a corpse, to entertain the wide-eyed youngsters. The children, terrified beyond measure, are left trembling when Ed dons a human skin mask, transforming his visage into a nightmarish spectacle.
Upon returning the children to their home, Mr. and Mrs. Heller, outraged and horrified by Ed's behavior, promptly eject him from their premises, sternly warning him never to darken their doorstep again. Consumed by rage and a twisted sense of injustice, Ed tracks down Evelyn, the erstwhile babysitter, and abducts her, holding her responsible for usurping his position and, by extension, thwarting his dreams of marrying Adeline.
The next day, in a bizarre twist of fate, Ed declares to Adeline his readiness to wed her. Startled and perhaps sensing the underlying madness, Adeline flees her home, seeking refuge with Ed in a perverse turn of events.
The narrative then leaps forward to 1964, where Anthony Perkins, still grappling with the psychological scars left by his iconic role in the film "Psycho," decides to take a leap of faith and marry a woman, thereby severing ties with his male companion. In candid conversations with his therapist, Anthony confides that this union has brought about a profound transformation, imbuing him with a newfound sense of peace and contentment. On the professional front, Perkins is resolute in his decision to never again embody the characters of Norman Bates or Ed Gein, seeking to break free from the shackles of typecasting.
Meanwhile, Alfred Hitchcock, the master of suspense, finds himself at a crossroads when approached by producers to resurrect "Psycho" with a sequel. Unwilling to delve back into the realm of sex horror (slasher) films, Hitchcock recognizes the audience's insatiable appetite for the genre, yet laments their reluctance to embrace anything outside the box. The episode culminates in a chilling scene where Ed, in a fit of unbridled fury, brutally murders Evelyn. This harrowing act of violence would echo through the annals of cinema, finding its eerie doppelgänger in a slasher film years down the line.
